The present invention relates to a fuel-water separator for diesel engines, comprising coalescing media and a plurality of baffle plates.
Diesel fuel and water mixture enter the separator and pass upwardly through the baffle plates and the coalescing media. Separated heavier water droplets drop to the bottom of the separator. Smaller droplets are carried with fuel and pass upwardly through the separator. Separation of water and fuel is effected by minimizing emulsification of water with fuel, and separation is further effected by the heavy particulates passing with large droplets to the bottom of the separator. Large water deposits in fuel are removed.
Coarse water droplets are removed from the fuel as well as impurities having specific gravities heavier than diesel fuel.
The invention greatly extends filter life and greatly reduces down-time, costs of filters and the time and labor involved in changing filters. Filter service life is extended four to six times by utilizing filters according to the invention.
The separator of the invention comprises coalescing media disposed in a generally upper portion of a housing and retained by an inclined wall plate and screen portion thereof, a plurality of baffle plates define a plurality of openings, a fuel and water mixture enters the separator via said inlet passage to pass generally upwardly through said baffle plates and said coalescing media to separate from the fuel by coalescence, droplets being generally carried in the flow stream with sufficient velocity, Water droplets become attached to the coalescing media to form heavier droplets which have overcome the flow rate of the fuel mixture, and are dropped toward the bottom of the separator.
Separation of water from fuel is effected by the lowering of the fuel flow rate to reduce emulsification of water with fuel, said flow passing generally upwardly via the inclined screen and passing from the separator via an outlet passage. Separation is further effected by heavy particulates of substantial specific gravity passing to the bottom of the separator with large droplets.